I admonish you to use wisdom with what I am about to say. If you have not done so, please read my article on Religion vs. Relationship and keep that in mind as you read through this section.
Lets just start by saying that nothing can be done with absolute perfection. Attempting to have a perfect heart is setting yourself up for failure, so I would suggest that if you decide to apply what we will be talking about today, that you do so with an attitude of grace and patience towards yourself. On the same note, regardless of how much you change, it will never be enough to attain salvation or any degree of righteousness on your own strength.
Having said that, even though we might not reach a state of perfection, that does not mean that we should not work towards improving our relationship with God. Though the effects from meditation and changing your heart will produce a mindset and perception that will make your life much more pleasant and enjoyable, I encourage you to not let that be the sole motivation behind your meditation. You should approach this as an act of worship towards God (see my article on What is Worship). The results that will follow will be just that, the results that come from a closer relationship with Him.
Christian meditation has one objective, only one, an no more than one. The objective is to become closer to God, growing in intimacy with Him, and learn to love and trust Him more. Everything else flows out of that. Sinlessness can not be produced from meditation. Righteousness can not be produced from meditation, that can only be obtained by faith alone. Likewise, peace can not be directly produced from meditation, however, this will be a byproduct of meditating on the right things. Christian meditation will help you build your intimacy with God as you change your perceptions of God, yourself, and the world. That is where peace and joy come from, as a byproduct of meditation, but not as a direct result of it. Some will argue that we can not do anything to build our intimacy with God, but the bible is clear that some level of initiative is expected from us in this area.
There are a lot of concepts about meditation out there. Most of those concepts have some sort of spiritual aspect to them, rightly so. Meditation should involve all aspects of the person Spirit, Soul, and Body. But, what is Christian Meditation? If you are a regenerated (born again) Christian, your spirit has been re-made in the image of God, and the spirit of God is actually living in you, but your mind and your flesh have not been re-made. Meditation is training you mind and heart to work in a way that is pleasing to God in order to bring it into agreement with the Holy Spirit living within you. This is what I believe the Lord is trying to tell us in Philippians 4:8.
Today, I want to challenge you to start meditating on those aspects of your life that the Lord has convicted you about.
Lord, I ask that you reveal to us our sins, our idols, and that you help us submit those to you. Guide us as we seek to do your will and worship you, change our hearts so they may be pleasing to you. Make us men and women (respectively), after you own heart! Amen.
Lets just start by saying that nothing can be done with absolute perfection. Attempting to have a perfect heart is setting yourself up for failure, so I would suggest that if you decide to apply what we will be talking about today, that you do so with an attitude of grace and patience towards yourself. On the same note, regardless of how much you change, it will never be enough to attain salvation or any degree of righteousness on your own strength.
Having said that, even though we might not reach a state of perfection, that does not mean that we should not work towards improving our relationship with God. Though the effects from meditation and changing your heart will produce a mindset and perception that will make your life much more pleasant and enjoyable, I encourage you to not let that be the sole motivation behind your meditation. You should approach this as an act of worship towards God (see my article on What is Worship). The results that will follow will be just that, the results that come from a closer relationship with Him.
Christian meditation has one objective, only one, an no more than one. The objective is to become closer to God, growing in intimacy with Him, and learn to love and trust Him more. Everything else flows out of that. Sinlessness can not be produced from meditation. Righteousness can not be produced from meditation, that can only be obtained by faith alone. Likewise, peace can not be directly produced from meditation, however, this will be a byproduct of meditating on the right things. Christian meditation will help you build your intimacy with God as you change your perceptions of God, yourself, and the world. That is where peace and joy come from, as a byproduct of meditation, but not as a direct result of it. Some will argue that we can not do anything to build our intimacy with God, but the bible is clear that some level of initiative is expected from us in this area.
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." James 4:7-8, ESVWith emphasis on "draw near to God, and he will draw near to you", one can conclude that we should at least, attempt to draw near to Him. Personally, I believe that if there really are any result that can be achieved, they are because he caused them to happen, not me. But I also believe that my initiative is a way of expressing to Him my desire for a closer relationship, and that is what He is really looking for to begin with.
There are a lot of concepts about meditation out there. Most of those concepts have some sort of spiritual aspect to them, rightly so. Meditation should involve all aspects of the person Spirit, Soul, and Body. But, what is Christian Meditation? If you are a regenerated (born again) Christian, your spirit has been re-made in the image of God, and the spirit of God is actually living in you, but your mind and your flesh have not been re-made. Meditation is training you mind and heart to work in a way that is pleasing to God in order to bring it into agreement with the Holy Spirit living within you. This is what I believe the Lord is trying to tell us in Philippians 4:8.
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Philippians 4:8, ESVWhether you realize it or not, you meditate on a very regular basis. Worrying is one form of meditation. I should know, I do a lot of that. Worrying (which is different than concern, in my mind) is meditating on the wrong things. When you worry, your mind as well as your heart are involved. Meditation involves both the mind and heart. It involves your thoughts as well as your will, your emotions, and your attitudes. The result is a changed heart, which leads to changed behavior.
Today, I want to challenge you to start meditating on those aspects of your life that the Lord has convicted you about.
Lord, I ask that you reveal to us our sins, our idols, and that you help us submit those to you. Guide us as we seek to do your will and worship you, change our hearts so they may be pleasing to you. Make us men and women (respectively), after you own heart! Amen.
Thanks! I agree! Meditation is very common--especially in the exercise arena of yoga. But meditation is not meant to just open up one's mind to nothingness or "good energy." It is a chance to think and dwell upon the character of God. There is nothing better to meditate on! Your post is a good challenge for Christians because we often spend way too much time thinking about worldly things, egocentric things or worrying. God has called us to so much more!
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